Mini-Lesson

Objective: Students will write a personal narrative that demonstrates their Chinese-calendar birth-year quality.

1. Have students read the timeforkids.com story It's the Year of the Rat! to learn about the Lunar New Year. Focus on the holiday's history and on the animals associated with each year. Ask: Do you know anyone who was born in the year of the Rat? Are they charming, clever, hardworking or outgoing?

2. Have students find out with which animal and quality their birth year is associated according to the Chinese calendar. (See 2008: Year of the Rat for a list.) Challenge students to write about a time when they exhibited the quality associated with their birth year. Use the Sample Personal Narrative to review characteristics of the genre.

3. Encourage students to edit and revise their writing. Use the Personal Narrative Checklist. Then, have them decorate their final draft with symbols of the Lunar New Year mentioned in the article, such as lions, lanterns and the color red. Compile a class book, or display on a bulletin board, for all to see.